The present invention is directed to a standpipe support for filters, more particularly, the present invention is directed to a combination of a filter element and housing with a standpipe support.
Filters, such as liquid filters for lubricating oil and fuel used in internal combustion engines, utilize several parts. Literally, there are a plurality of parts which are necessary in order to introduce dirty liquid into a filter and to remove clean liquid from the filter. With one type of filter, typical of filters employed for filtering liquids, there are parts which form an assembly necessary to introduce and remove liquid from the filter. For example, such a filter might include four stamped metal parts, two fiber sealing washers, one fiber standpipe and one coil spring. It is expensive to buy and assemble these parts in order to configure the filter. Moreover, when it is necessary to assemble separate parts, the junctures between these parts provide opportunities for assembly errors and opportunities for filter failure due to just one part being defective. Accordingly, by reducing the number of parts, expense is reduced and reliability enhanced.
In view of these and other considerations, there is a need for filters which are configured of a reduced number of parts.
The present invention is utilized with and directed to a filter which comprises an annular filter element having a hollow core and mounted in a housing which forms an annular space around the filter element. The housing has a closed end and an open end, the open end being adapted and arranged to receive unfiltered fluid and to expel filtered fluid. An insert configured according to the invention is positioned within the hollow core and has a first end in abutment with the closed end of the housing and a second end in communication with one of the openings of the housing. The insert includes a shoulder engaging one end of the filter element and has radial openings adjacent the first end thereof so that fluid may pass therethrough.
In a more specific aspect of the invention, the insert has an opening in the second end thereof which receives fluid to be filtered and transports the fluid past the filter element so that the fluid flows into the annular space around the filter element; then radially through the filter element into the hollow core as filtered liquid, and then out of the core for reuse.
In still a more specific aspect of the invention the insert is a single piece, more particularly a single piece of molded material such as, but not limited to, resilient material, for example, rubber or nitrile rubber.